This invention relates to an archery bow which can be dissembled for storage and transport and reassembled for use. More specifically this invention relates to an archery bow which has an improved method for attaching the limbs which does not require threaded bolts, screws, etc. and yet still has the strength and rigidity necessary for safe use and accurate shooting.
Archery, as a sport, has spanned many generations and is still popular today. The use of archery equipment includes many sporting events such as target events wherein competitors attempt to place arrows in a small region of a target.
The necessity to transport archery equipment is paramount to full enjoyment of the equipment. The length of a bow often makes it difficult to carry the bow in the trunk, or seat, of a vehicle. This has caused a long felt desire for an archery bow which can be disassembled without sacrificing the safety and accuracy of the bow.
There are many examples of two-piece and three-piece archery bows which can be disassembled and reassembled. Examples of three piece archery bows are exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,674,468; 4,574,766; 3,957,027; 3,415,240; 3,921,598; 3,814,075 and 3,502,063. These all require two limbs to be attached to a central handle. The time required to assemble these archery bows decreases the time allotted for enjoyment and any slight difference in the mounting of the two limbs may decrease the accuracy of the archery bow. It is realized in the art that an archery bow designed for disassembly is best if the archery bow is approximately symmetrical with respect to the assembly joint. Two-piece construction is preferable to three-piece construction if frequent disassembly is desired.
Two-piece archery bows are exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,570,675; 3,738,348; 3,612,018 and 3,156,230. U.S. Pat. No. 3,156,230 is an asymmetrical archery bow which is deficient due to decreased accuracy as described previously. U.S. Pat. No. 3,738,348 comprises stepped interior ends which must be perfectly machined to obtain a suitable fit between the two sections. Any wear in the stepped interior ends would cause the fit between sections to be less rigid which would lead to inaccuracy. U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,028 comprises a hinge which is undesirable since any wear in the hinge would result in movement of the two halves relative to each other which would decrease accuracy.
The two-piece design exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,675 has received acclaim in the art due to rigidity of the joint and the accuracy achieved even after extended use. A disadvantage of the archery bow exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,675 is the requirement of a bolt to maintain the two halves in a fixed position. One application of an archery bow is in hunting wild animals. This is typically done in the cold weather months and it is often difficult to insert and turn the threaded bolt with cold hands. Also, the problem associated with dropping, and losing, the threaded bolt is a bother to many archers.
While the availability of archery bows which can be easily assembled and disassembled has grown there is still a desire in the art for an archery bow which can be assembled and disassembled easily and without the necessity for threaded bolts. This desire must be met with safety in mind since an archery bow which fails at the joint can be lethal to the user.